My Top 10 {Healthy} Costco Finds
Well, hello there!
I want to share with you my top ten favourite things to pick up at Costco. I'll preface this entire post by saying that Costco is not a place I love to frequent. I find it overwhelming, impersonal, and chaotic. It goes against everything I believe in when it comes to shopping. However, as a busy mama who likes to have a stocked house and fridge, sometimes I just take a deep breath and make it happen.
I used to be the Queen of meal planning and preparing foods in advance. However, my weekends seem to have become eaten up with family events and obligations lately. So, while I would love to spend four hours each weekend prepping food for the week, I would prefer to use that time to be with my family. Instead, I have opted to have healthy foods in our pantry and fridge that are quick to prepare each night.
Believe it or not, Costco has become one of the places I pick up some of our food. Here are some of the foods that I pick up each time I'm there.
Kirkland Organic Chicken Broth
Let's be honest. Nothing beats homemade chicken broth. But I do not have time each week to make homemade chicken broth and my freezer chest is packed with organic meats already so I don't have much space for storage of frozen homemade broth. {Side note: connect with a local organic farmer who has a smaller operation and order your beef, chicken, lamb and other meats from them to save on money at the grocery or specialty food stores}. So, most of my chicken broth is stored in my pantry. In packages of six, this will last me a month as I usually make a batch of homemade soup once a week.
Sunbest Almond Flour
With a gluten sensitivity in our home, we do most of our homemade baking with either almond or coconut flour {coconut flour makes it school-lunch friendly}. While not organic, it is cost effective to purchase in a larger bag rather than at the regular grocery store chains.
Kirkland Organic Tomato Sauce & Diced Tomatoes
Same goes for tomato storage as goes with chicken broth. While I would love to avoid aluminum cans, I do not have space in my fridge for organic tomatoes at the quantity I need them with. Additionally, I can't get fresh organic tomatoes year round in Canada. Cans are super easy to open up and use in any recipe that calls for them.
Made Good Granola Bars
Packaged granola bar? Yes. We do have processed foods in our pantry. A few years back with one less child and a lot more time on my hands, I made everything from scratch. And I sometimes still do go on a baking blitz. But these are easy to grab and relatively healthy. School-friendly and made without wheat, soy, dairy, egg, or sesame...these are a hit around our home. {And shhhhh, while not a valid serving of veggies, they do have vegetable powder made up of spinach, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, beets, and shiitake mushrooms}
Kirkland Seaweed Packages
My girls love these, my son does not. They are an incredible add in to school lunches or quick snacks before dinner!
Naturoney Organic Honey
It's affordable organic honey. Enough said.
Mother Earth Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
You can use this product for salad dressings, cleansing, soothe a sore throat, for healthy hair, fight foot fungus, balance a digestive system, deter fruit flies and more. It's incredibly versatile!
Kombucha
Yes, you read that right. Costco has Kombucha. Kombucha is a fermented drink that helps increase gut bacteria, balance digestion, and increase your energy amongst other benefits. I make my own Kombucha but in a pinch, these are pre-bottled and require no work. {Word to the wise, just because you are at Costco, do not buy these in bulk. I brought home two packages (12 in total) and realized quickly I did not think fridge storage through, as they do need to be refrigerated. Oops.}
Elan Organic Coconut Chips
These are so delicious and an excellent {school friendly} addition to energy bars, power balls, trail mix, or they can be eaten on their own. Slightly toasted, they have a great crunch to them.
Oils
Not essential oils but COOKING oils. I buy our avocado oil, coconut oil, and olive oil from Costco.
Organic Fruits, Veggies & Meats
BONUS. I can't leave out the organic fruits & veggies!! Kudos to Costco for responding to the demand for healthier foods. I have not personally researched into where these products come from however they do have an array of foods that you can purchase if you do not have access to local organic product and meats (in freezer section).
So, there you have it. Hopefully this helps you navigate the store a bit better for healthier options. Do you have a fav healthy option at Costco to add to the list?